"Goldie, I swear! The General totally has his eye on you! Haha!" Lily cackled, not a care in the world. "You might be running this manor soon! When that happens, promise you won't forget us, okay?"
"Ugh, you brat! Just eat your bun!" Anna grabbed a bun and shoved it into Lily's mouth.
"Hey, I'm being serious!" Lily said, munching on her bun as she spoke. "Anna, don't you think the General looks at Goldie differently than he looks at us?"
Anna forced a smile and asked, "How's it different?"
"He looks at us like we're furniture or clothes—totally indifferent! But when he looks at Goldie, there's something more in his eyes." Lily said, acting all serious.
Anna set a bowl of porridge in front of Goldie and handed her a spoon. "I didn't notice anything. Here, Goldie, have some porridge! It smells extra good today."
"Thanks!" Goldie pulled out a pair of deep purple, almost black chopsticks, plus a matching spoon. "Remember? I'm a clean freak—I never use anyone else's chopsticks."
"Oh! Right, I almost forgot." Anna calmly put the spoon back.
Goldie used her own spoon to scoop up some porridge.
As Goldie gripped the spoon, a faint red glow appeared right where her fingers touched it.
Her spoon and chopsticks were both made from Soulveil Bamboo.
Soulveil Bamboo was an extremely rare type of bamboo on this continent.
It could sense poison.
Whether it was ordinary poison or spiritual poison, it could detect them both.
If it was regular poison, it would turn yellow.
If it was spiritual poison, it would turn red.
Back when she was in the Vermilion Kingdom, caught up in the political games among the hostages from different nations, she also got swept into the palace drama.
So she always stayed on high alert, using her Soulveil Bamboo chopsticks to test for poison with every meal.
After a while, she got so used to it that she couldn’t stand using anything else.
So ever since she arrived at the General’s manor, she’d always claimed to be a 'clean freak.'
...
At that moment, her Soulveil Bamboo spoon actually picked up traces of poison.
And not just any poison—it was spiritual poison.
She glanced at Anna, her face giving nothing away.
Anna just looked like she was enjoying her meal, savoring each bite of porridge and bun.
Lily had already slurped down half a bowl of porridge.
Maybe the poison was only in her bowl?
As Lily kept eating, she went on, "I've been in the General's manor for over four years—I know the General! He's definitely different with Goldie! Anna, trust me, our gorgeous Goldie will be moving out of the maid's quarters soon!"
"You never stop!" Goldie pretended to be annoyed, stood up, and gave Lily a playful smack.
Lily laughed and dodged out of the way.
When Goldie sat back down, she 'accidentally' knocked her bowl of porridge over.
Crash! The bowl shattered, and porridge went everywhere.
"Oh no!" Goldie yelped. "You brat! No more talking!"
"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" Lily said, covering her mouth. "Let me help you clean up, alright?"
"No need! I'll do it myself. Just eat your food!" Goldie grabbed some cleaning tools and got to work.
She sneakily tucked a porridge-stained shard into her storage space.
Then she went to get a new bowl and helped herself to more porridge.
There was no poison in the porridge this time, so the poison must've been on the bowl itself...
Ever since Goldie smashed the bowl, Anna's face looked terrible—like a schemer whose evil plan had just fallen apart.